By Arveent Kathirtchelvan

I had the express pleasure of working with the Allied Aeronautics Training Centre Students’ Union (AATCSU) from when it was only a concept in the minds of a few proactive, socially conscious students, until it was established properly and, now, it has grown to win in its struggle through negotiations between student leaders, the Ministry of Human Resources and the AATC management. This was my first experience in handling a social case with the Parti Sosialis Malaysia and I am grateful that I could learn the process from the capable hands of comrade Sharan Raj, a central committee member of the party.

Reflecting on the past few months, there are a few points that stand out to me with regards to how the party helps those in need and, more interestingly, how they help themselves. As socialists, the prevailing thought at the forefront of our consciousness is the empowerment of groups who are suppressed. However, those new to the process, as I am, are sometimes not really clear on what empowerment means. Seeing it unfold in front of my eyes taught me how it is supposed to look, and the mentality necessary for those trying to help these groups.

The AATCSU Experience

In the beginning of PSM’s involvement with what will eventually become the AATCSU, several AATC students approached PSM seeking assistance. The main issue was that the college management promised to arrange for PTPK loans to pay for the students’ fees. The students, most of whom are from a lower income bracket, relied on this guarantee to enrol as the interest rate and the payback instalment amount are low for these loans. Years on and 6 batches of student intakes later, the whole cohort had studied without paying a single sen, but the loans weren’t coming. The college management then asked for students to apply for Affin Bank Personal Loans with a near 8% interest rate. This was an unacceptable arrangement for the students and they began to look for a way out of it.

We saw that the students were interested in a holistic solution. There was no division based on race or religion, nor did the students look out only for their individual benefit. They considered themselves to be a united front, each equal to the other, and were willing to fight for what was promised to them. A preliminary organization structure was laid out, with the initial small group of students spreading out to talk to their classmates, batch by batch. Week by week, the number of students committed to organization grew. After a while, the leadership structure of the growing union solidified, from chairperson to secretary to committee members assigned to their respective batches.

Soon, the time came to call a town hall discussion. The first attempt was a failure. The number of students who came were not more than half of the entire cohort. For those who did, Sharan led a post-mortem that identified challenges in reaching out to the other students and how much work really needs to be done in explaining to them what the union represented. The students were resolved to go back to square one. More organizing and more ground work were undertaken. The committee more seriously focused on getting the attendance numbers up. A date was fixed for the next town hall.

When it came, as I pulled-up to the venue, the crowd was burgeoning. Already, the total number of students seemed to easily double that of the first town hall. There was a desk prepared with registers listing those who had agreed to attend, being ticked-off one-by-one as they came in. When the meeting started, the target of getting more than half of the entire AATC student body to attend was easily achieved. This group seemed clear on their intentions. They were there to stand as one to solve their problems together. The preliminary committee was pulled up in front of the attendees and were voted on. Some of the committee was replaced, new positions were added and the composition of the committee, in terms of race and gender, was made diverse.

Following this success, a letter was drafted to the management detailing the students’ demands. Amongst these were the preparation of the PTPK loans and discontinuation of the lack of engagement with students before decision-making on the part of the management. A meeting was requested by the student union with the management to begin negotiations on these matters. When the letter was hand-delivered, the management received it and asked for a few days to go through it before responding.

The following Monday, both the chairperson and secretary of the union were dismissed from AATC. The rest of the union were informed of this that morning. Afternoon came and over 90 students went to the ground to protest this decision. They occupied their training centre and demanded for their fellow students to be reinstated. The unity shown by the union members was shocking and refreshing. Weeks of talking about each other as part of the same class struggle was realized in an instant when the might of the management was exerted. It was awe-inspiring.

More so when some of them were taken to the Kelana Jaya Police Station, the rest of the students gathered in front and waited for hours until they were released. Students of all races coming together with the sole intention of getting their own released. Even when there were certain outside forces trying to inject a racial perspective into them at that time, the students stayed firm. Close to 10 pm, the detained students, alongside Sharan, were released. The students rejoiced.

Two days later, a meeting was arranged between the students, AATC management and the Ministry of Human Resources. Minister M. Kulasegaran acted in favour of the students and assisted them to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. The students asked for the reinstatement of their dismissed chairperson and secretary, the arrangement of PTPK loans for them and the re-enrollment of fellow students who had earlier left AATC due to the lack of a good financing option. All three demands were agreed to. The student union had won.

An Analysis

So, to review, how do we analyse the experience of this union? Oftentimes, we judge society to be filled with racially-biased individuals who can never be united. However, this togetherness is clear in the AATC Students’ Union which is multiracial but moves as one. We need to understand that the type of organization is key. What I mean by this is, they union was organized around a class struggle. There was an oppressive class in the management and an oppressed class in the students. This was understood clearly. Race was nowhere near the foundations of this union.

There is also the perception that students and other suppressed social classes, like lorry drivers and plantation workers, are not capable of organizing themselves. Our experience with the AATCSU proves this wrong. Most of the work was done by the students themselves, from explaining their stance to other students, ensuring the racial divide does not set in until getting students to come to the ground to openly protest.

This was no radicalization. This was realization of the innate talents of the students themselves. They were determined and worked hard to prepare themselves to solve their own problems. This is empowerment. You don’t have to give hand-outs, just a conducive environment for affected individuals to organize and find amicable solutions to their issues. This approach is clear in PSM’s other work as well. From unfairly retrenched workers to plantation workers being evicted from their houses, PSM’s approach in class-based organization isn’t only effective but is sustainable as there is true ownership of those being organized themselves in the process.

As we near Merdeka, many quarters throughout the nation are calling it the least joyful of all. Political parties and NGOs instigate racial sentiments, the people are beginning to tire of the deep cracks within our society. Yet, in AATCSU, we can see hope burning brightly. Their model uplifted their community effectively, their unity forged far from the deep clutches of racial sentiments. Proof, again, that through a class-based approach, not only can we stand against oppressors and achieve what we seek but we can do it as a united front with no division between us. AATCSU has taught all of us a lesson in these trying times. Will we care to listen? Happy Merdeka, Malaysia.

Arveent Kathirtchelvan is a committee member of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, Youth Wing

Hutan Amazon, hutan hujan tropika terbesar di dunia yang meliputi meliputi kawasan yang meluas di negara Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana dan Suriname, sedang dilanda kebakaran yang serius, khususnya di kawasan hutan yang terletak di dalam negara Brazil. Kebakaran Huutan Amazon di Brazil, bukan sahaja memberi impak kepada alam sekitar di benua Amerika Latin, tetapi juga sedang mengancam bumi kita yang sudah pun menghadapi krisis iklim yang membimbangkan.

Pada ketika ini, beribu kebakaran sedang terjadi di kawasan Hutan Amazon, dengan negeri-negeri di bahagian utara Brazil seperti Roraima, Acre, Rondônia dan Amazonas, mengalami kesan yang paling teruk akibat daripada kebakaran-kebakaran ini.

Menurut angka rasmi, lebih 75,000 kebakaran hutan telah direkodkan di Brazil untuk 8 bulan pertama tahun ini, satu angka yang paling tinggi sejak tahun 2013, dan jauh tinggi berbanding 40,000 kebakaran dalam tempoh yang sama pada tahun 2018. Kebakaran hutan di kawasan Amazon adalah sesuatu yang biasa ketika musim kemarau dari bulan Julai hingga Oktober setiap tahun. Kebakaran ini boleh berpunca daripada alam semulajadi seperti sambaran kilat, tetapi juga boleh disebabkan oleh aktiviti pembalakan dan pembukaan tanah untuk pertanian. Presiden Brazil Jair Bolsonaro yang mengambilalih kuasa sejak 1 Januari 2019 telah memainkan peranan aktif dalam menggalakkan aktiviti penebangan pokok di kawasan Amazon.

Kebakaran hebat di Hutan Amazon, bukan sahaja sedang memusnahkan khazanah alam yang begitu kaya di Bumi kita, tetapi juga sedang melepaskan karbon yang begitu banyak ke dalam atmosfera Bumi kita dan “menyumbang” kepada krisis iklim yang semakin teruk.

Bolonaro, seorang ahli politik pelampau kanan yang mempermainkan sentimen perkauman dan politik kebencian untuk berkuasa, telah melaksanakan dasar yang mengancam alam sekitar dan kehidupan masyarakat orang asal di Brazil. Kerajaan pimpinan Bolsorano telah menarik balik langkah-langkah penguatkuasaan terhadap pembukaan hutan secara haram di kawasan hutan terlindung.

Malah, ketika berkempen untuk Pilihanraya Presiden pada tahun lepas lagi, Bolsonaro telah mengatakan bahawa tanah hutan perlindungan yang luas merupakan halangan kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi dan berjanji untuk membukannya bagi eksploitasi komersial.

Dasar yang dibawa oleh Bolsonaro adalah menukar tanah awam yang sepatutnya untuk kepentingan semua orang kepada tanah swasta yang menguntungkan segelintir kecil kapitalis. Kebanyakan tanah awam di Brazil terletak di Hutan Amazon, termasuk tanah awam di mana masyarakat orang asal berhak untuk menggunakaannya dan tanah kegunaan kolektif oleh quilombola (orang keturunan hamba dari Afrika yang berjaya memenangkan hak tanah mereka). Kerajaan Bolsonaro sedang meningkatkan usaha untuk membuka tanah yang diduduki oleh masyarakat orang asli dan kawasan perlindungan hutan, untuk menjadikan tanah yang luas ini sebagai ladang penternakan, ladang tanaman soya dan lombong mineral. Bolsonaro langsung tidak mempedulikan alam sekitar dan masyarakat akar umbi, kerana hasratnya adalah mempertahankan kepentingan golongan kapitalis Brazil dengan apa jua cara, termasuk menghancurkan paru-paru hijau yang terbesar di dunia.

Kebakaran yang sedang memusnahkan hutan di Brazil sekarang ini, bukannya sesuatu yang semula jadi, tetapi adalah produk dasar kerajaan Brazil yang mengetepikan alam sekitar. Amat ternyata sekali, Bolsonaro bukan sahaja ancaman kepada rakyat Brazil, tetapi ancaman hebat kepada Bumi kita!

Source: Malaysiakini
Parti Sosialis Malaysia is strongly urging Malaysians not to rally behind causes which are based on race or religion.

“It is our opinion that all parties pushing for a single ethnic or religion mobilisation in the coming weeks should take one step back because these actions are not going to do anything good for the future of Malaysia,” said PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan (photo, above) in a statement today.

“Single ethnic-religious mobilisation will only result in people attacking each other and then calling others racist. This will further divide and widen the gap. PSM will not encourage its members to participate in this mobilisation,” he said.

In recent weeks, a number of polarising issues have surfaced including the continued presence of wanted preacher Dr Zakir Naik who has been accused of making racially-charged speeches.

There was also a fierce debate over the proposed introduction of the khat script for vernacular schools and plans to amend the Selangor constitution to allow for the unilateral conversion of minors.

In this heated environment, Syahredzan Johan, an aide to DAP leader Lim Kit Siang, even received a death threat on Wednesday night after calling for Zakir Naik’s permanent resident status to be revoked.

“We should be advocating for mobilisation of all races and religious groups in one rally towards peace or common interests.”

“It is better for our energy to be preserved to fight for issues which concern all of us on the issues of job security, affordable houses and climate emergency,” said Arutchelvan.

Source: ThinkLeft

Looks like controversial preacher Zakir Naik is strategically completing his mission to further divide and cause hatred amongst our fragile society. After earning the wrath of the Malaysian Indian community for some time now, he has shifted his target to the Chinese with his disparaging remarks. He is reported to have quoted that the Malaysian Chinese are also guests here, and if they want him (Zakir Naik) to be sent back to India then, the Chinese should also be asked to go back!

Coming from a recently granted PR card holder, Zakir Naik is not talking from his ignorance of Malaysian history. He is specifically serving his purpose as a tool to divide our country along racial and religious lines.

While it was no surprise that he received an honorary welcome in Kelantan from the PAS led government, as PAS needs people like Zakir Naik to push their religious and political agenda, but it was very disappointing to see even certain moderate Pakatan Harapan Muslim leaders also cozying up to him.

Do they also share his views on his version of Islam? Or more dangerously, have the Pakatan leaders identified him as a key tool to divide and rule society to be used whenever necessary?

Has Pakatan Harapan learned in a year what Barisan Nasional has mastered in 60 years? That is using individuals and issues to keep our society fighting on racial and religious lines.

Thus, if we are still waiting for politicians to say the right things and show the way, it will not happen. The rakyat has to see through these evil political maneuvers and refused to be influenced by them. From the ‘Khat’ issue, the Selangor single parent conversion bill, Dong Zhong to Zakir Naik, these issues have only led to mobilizations and exchanges of heated statements between Muslims and non-Muslims. Seems like there is a deep state within Pakatan Harapan, executing its agenda in the interest of unknown political forces.

PSM calls on the rakyat to mobilise across all races and religions to call for an end to these never ending hate exchanges between communities. Where our politicians have failed, the rakyat will have to show great maturity and understanding to nip these racial tensions in the bud. The working class Malay Muslims, Chinese and Indians have so much in common compared to our religious and political elite. Let’s not allow these tools of destruction orchestrated by certain quarters destroy our racial harmony and class solidarity.

Sivarajan.
PSM Secretary General.

Source: Sosialis

Gabungan Demokrasi Tempatan (DEKAT) dilancarkan pada 17 Ogos 2019, sebagai inisiatif terbaru masyarakat sivil Malaysia untuk menggerakkan pemulihan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan di negara kita. Pelancaran tersebut diadakan dalam satu forum khas bertemakan “Pilihanraya Tempatan: Siapa Untung? Siapa Rugi?” yang turut dihadiri Zuraida Kamaruddin selaku Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan dan Jagdeep Singh Deo selaku Ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang untuk Perumahan, Kerajaan Tempatan dan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa.

Zuraida Kamaruddin telah menyatakan komitmennya untuk mengembalikan pilihanraya tempatan dalam tempoh 3 tahun. Menurutnya, satu kumpulan kerja teknikal di bawah Kementeriannya akan bekerjasama dengan beberapa pihak termasuk masyarakat sivil untuk menyediakan cadangan model atau kerangka yang sesuai bagi pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan di Malaysia, dan dijangka akan dibawa kepada kabinet sebelum dibentangkan dalam parlimen dalam tempoh masa 3 tahun.

Zuraida berkata, “Tiada orang akan rugi apabila pilihanraya tempatan dilaksanakan. Walaupun terdapat beberapa isu perlu diatasai, tetapi pilihanraya tempatan memang sesuatu yang boleh dilaksanakan.”

Ketika menjawab persoalan bahawa Perdana Menteri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad telah menyatakan pendiriannya yang menolak pilihanraya tempatan, Zuraida berkata, “Sebagai seorang Menteri, adalah menjadi tugas dan tanggungjawab saya untuk menyakinkan beliau bahawa rakyat kita sudah bersedia untuk pilihanraya tempatan!”

Sementara itu, Kerajaan Pulau Pinang walaupun menyatakan sokongannya yang sepenuh kepada pemulihan pilihanraya tempatan, tetapi telah menendang bola kepada Kerajaan Persekutuan untuk mengalihkan segala rintangan untuk pelaksanaan pilihanraya tempatan.

Forum “Pilihanraya Tempatan: Siapa Untung? Siapa Rugi?” diadakan oleh Kumpulan Kerja Pilihanraya Tempatan Pulau Pinang (PLCEWAG). Ahli-ahli panel yang membentang idea dalam forum ini termasuk Ehsan Salam (aktivis kumpulan masyarakat Petaling Jaya MyPJ), Dr. Prema Devaraj (Presiden ALIRAN), Thomas Fann (Pengerusi BERSIH 2.0) dan Wong Chin Huat (Penganalisis Politik). Ahli-ahli panel telah menyampaikan pembentangan mereka merangkumi aspek-aspek seperti sejarah, keterangkuman kumpulan masyarakat terpinggir dalam proses demokrasi, keperluan untuk mengembalikan pilihanraya dan sistem pilihanraya yang sesuai dengan situasi di Malaysia.

PLCEWAG yang ditubuhkan sejak bulan April 2019 terdiri daripada individu dan organisasi yang berhasrat untuk meningkatkan tahap penyertaan demokrasi di kalangan rakyat melalui usaha untuk memulihkan demokrasi tempatan melalui undi ketiga. Forum yang diadakan pada 17 Ogoos lalu adalah aktiviti yang pertama daripada siri program yang akan dianjurkan untuk menyokong pemulihan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan.

PLCEWAG berpandangan bahawa pendidikan dan penyertaan awam adalah sangat penting untuk membantu rakyat memahami hak dan keperluan mereka sebagai pengundi ketiga, dalam proses pemulihan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan. Oleh yang demikian, PLCEWG merancang untuk mengadakan beberapa siri program dengan komuniti untuk bersama membincang dan memahami isu-isu yang dihadapi oleh masyarakat.

Gabungan Demokrasi Tempatan (DEKAT) yang dilancarkan pada 17 Ogos 2019, diasaskan secara bersama oleh kumpulan-kumpulan masyarakat sivil dari seluruh negara, termasuk Penang Forum, PLCEWAG, Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur, MyPJ, Pusat Memerangi Rasuah dan Kronisme (C4) dan BERSIH 2.0.

PLCEWAG menyeru Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang untuk meneruskan usaha memulihkan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan kerana ia berkait rapat dengan sejarah Pulau Pinang. Mengikut sejarah, George Town ialah bandar pertama yang mengadakan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan pada tahun 1857, di mana tiga daripada lima orang pesuruhjaya perbandaran dipilih melalui proses tersebut. Selepas satu tempoh penggantungan, Pulau Pinang sekali lagi menjadi negeri yang pertama memilih sembilan daripada 15 pesuruhjaya perbandaran pada tahun 1951. Pada tahun 1956, Majlis Perbandaran George Town telah menjadi kerajaan tempatan yang pertama yang melaksanakan pemilihan sepenuhnya.

PLCEWAG juga menyeru Kerajaan Malaysia untuk mempercepatkan proses pembuatan keputusan di Parlimen supaya membolehkan pilihanraya kerajaan tempatan dapat dilaksanakan di negara kita.

Source: Malaysiakini; Published: 12 Aug 2019, 4:51 pm  |  Modified: 12 Aug 2019, 4:51 pm

Pakatan Harapan should set-up a high level committee to vet government policies before announcing them to the public, urges PSM.

Its chairperson Jeyakumar Devaraj (above) said policies and government initiatives that touch on language, religion and education issues must go through this committee first before Harapan ministers are allowed to make an announcement.

The suggestion came as Harapan ruling coalition is now facing protests following recent announcement on implementation of khat in school syllabus, and Selangor government’s plan to table a law that would pave way to unilateral conversion in the state.

He said that while PSM supported the idea of Malaysians from different racial backgrounds learning each other’s culture, the decision on the khat issue without prior consultation could deepen divisions between ethnic groups.

“Doesn’t (Education Minister) YB Maszlee Malik (below) know that many non-Malay parents are anxious that there is a tendency to Islamise non-Malay children attending public schools? Taken against this backdrop, the Khat proposal just heightens suspicions among some that the government is trying to “Islamise” society even further.

“Then, as if to up the ante, the Selangor Government attempted to introduce a Bill allowing the conversion of children unilaterally by one of the parents. Though this problem has only affected about half a dozen couples in the past 10 years, it is an issue that has been widely publicized and is an emotive one,” Jeyakumar said in a statement.

He added that this was disappointing, given that Harapan was voted into power by the rakyat who hoped that they would build “a just and more harmonious society”.

“What is going on Pakatan? Some people speculate that this stirring of ethnic issues is being done on purpose to weaken certain coalition partners, and/or to distract attention from issues involving certain leaders.

“Pakatan, too, has come into power with the promise of enhancing our racial integration and equality, so why betray your constituents?

“PSM would like to advise the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council to set up a high level committee to vet all new policies and initiatives touching on language, religion and education before permitting the ministers concerned to announce these.”

In the same statement, Jeyakumar also called for the public who are protesting the two initiatives by Education Ministry and Selangor state government to also toe the line.

He said it does not give anyone the license to lash out at any race or religious group.

Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan tidak patut membiarkan syarikat Lynas menjadikan Malaysia sebagai ‘tong sampah’ dengan membenarkan penyimpanan bahan-bahan buangan radioaktif dan kimia yang dikeluarkannya di Malaysia. Begitu seruan Sharan Raj, Ahli Jawatankuasa Pusat Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) merangkap Penyelaras Biro Alam Sekitar PSM, dalam kenyataannya yang dikeluarkan pada 11 Ogos 2019.

Kerajaan Australia telah menggunakan Konvensyen Basel untuk menghalang pemgimportan sisa radioaktif Lynas bali ke Australia Barat, iaitu tempat asalnya bahan mentah yang dibawa ke kilang Lynas di Malaysia. Setakat bulan Disember lalu, terdapat sebanyak 451,564 tan metrik sisa water leach purification (WLP) dan 1.113 juta tan metrik sisa neutralization underflow (NUF) sudah terkumpul di kilang Lynas di Gebeng, Pahang. Dijangkakan bahawa kilang lynas akan mengeluarkan lebih 1.5 juta tan WLP dan 3.7 juta tan NUF pada tahun 2032.

Sharan Raj berkata, “Jelasnya sekali Lynas sedang menganggap Malaysia seperti ‘tong sampah’ untuknya dengan meninggalkan sisa-sisa buangan mereka kepada generasi kita akan datang untuk dibimbangkan. Australia telah menolak untuk menerima sisa Lynas walaupun ia mempunyai keluasan padang pasir yang ke-4 besar di dunia. Malaysia akan dibiarkan untuk menangani 5.2 juta tan sisa radioaktif dan kimia sementara pemegang saham Lynas terus menikmati keuntungan.”

“Lynas telah membuat propaganda yang hebat untuk cuba menyakinkan rakyat bahawa sisa-sisa buangannya boleh dikomersialkan. Menggunakan sisa-sisa buangan sebagai baja telah membawa kepada peningkatan kandungan logam berat dalam hasil tanaman. Eksperimen demi eksperimen untuk mengeluarkan thorium daripada WLP telah gagal dan menjadikan upcycling WLP itu mustahil,” ulas Sharan Raj.

“Ketika kemuncak isu sampah plastik, Yeo Bee Yin selaku Menteri Tenaga, Sains, Teknologi, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim membuat sidang akhbar yang penuh dramatik dengan mengatakan pengimport plastik sebagai pengkhianat. Pakatan Harapan akan melakukan ‘pengkhianatan pada tahap tertinggi’ dengan membenarkan 5.2 tan sisa radioaktif dan kimia disimpan di Malaysia,” tambah Sharan Raj.

PSM menggesa Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan supaya tidak memperbaharukan kebenaran untuk Lynas terus beroperasi sehingga Lynas menghantar balik semua sisanya ke Australia. Faksiliti Pembuangan Kekal untuk sisa Lynas terlalu berisiko tinggi kerana sekiranya berlaku bencana alam yang merosakkan faksiliti ini boleh mengundang akibat yang lebih teruk daripada kesan pencemaran di Pasir Gudang.